13-9-2017We didn't have to look very far to find a suitable place for the last meal and the last farewells. The BarBib is situated next to the library and offers excellent food. Eating and drinking together, at a long table, with carefully arranged colourful dishes and a last local beer: a perfect way to look back on a succesful tour. The only remaining stress factor: don't miss the last train!

The staff rooms! Often forgotten during library visits – but not in Genk! We had the opportunity to visit the workplaces of the library staff. Very basic, but efficient, and with a very nice natural light: it looked like a nice place to work. The lack of luxury proved to be a deliberate choice: the ‘cheaper’ the staff rooms, the more investment was possible in the public part of the library. A good example of knowing your priorities! ​

13-9-2017Another story about merging and adapting the collection to a new system. After the integration of the collection of the university college with the university collection, they had to switch to UDC, a system with a different logic The old system allowed them to place books by subject. They solve this by adding keywords from the specific arts and architecture thesaurus to the bibliographical descriptions, but it’s still more complex to search for a stack of books on chairs, for example, than in the past.

13-9-2017Beautiful library, nominated for being the ' Best Library of Flanders and Brussels'. Well thought-out architectural project, even in the smaller details – like the toilets 😊As in Liège, they have an ‘artoteek’, but here the works are not purchased by the library.​Other good practices:

At the media table patrons can explore old postcards of Bilzen. A collaboration with the ‘Heemkundige kring’ of Bilzen (organization that focuses on local history. It proved to be an interesting combination of old artefacts and new technology. Very well done!

the children's corner is adorable, we wanted to stay there

Super digital map that allows you to see very precisely the different corners of the world

Super toilets! Rather rare that toilets are so aesthetically pleasing. In a lot of libraries the public toilets are a difficult place to manage. Vandalism is not unusual. Maybe this is the solution: make them too beautiful to vandalize!

The returned books remain on a shelf at the entrance so that other users can see what was borrowed recently. A good trigger: I wat to read what someone else has read!

Zen room

By the way: the very next day, they actually did win the prize! Congratulations!

12-9-2017The last evening of our tour. Belgian fries for everyone! Just great...We also took time to congratulate every participant: for being there, for cycling with us, for their positive contributions to the success of the tour.

After Liège some 50 kilometres were waiting for us. We mostly followed the water: la Meuse, the canal Albert and the charming valley of the Geer, in the beautiful region of 'la Montagne Saint-Pierre.'Most impressive was the landscape around Kanne, with the marl caves and the fortress of Eben-Emael.